Washington (CNN) – Even though President Obama is not on the ballot this November, he and the Democrats who control Congress have a lot on the line.

Among the many contests being voted on in a little more than week, two statewide battles for governor are grabbing a lot of national attention.

The president heads back on the campaign trail in Virginia on Tuesday, not for himself but for fellow Democrat gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds. Recent polls suggest Deeds, a state senator from the rural western part of Virginia, trails his Republican opponent, former Virginia attorney general Bob McDonnell.